Category Archives: Richarld Carlson

The incredible stop-motion creature effects of Ray Harryhausen seem made for high-definition. So it’s always good news when some of his work is announced for Blu-Ray. The latest is The Valley Of Gwangi (1969) from Warner Archive.

The cowboys vs. dinosaurs storyline, with a good bit of King Kong (1933) worked in, came from Ray Harryhausen’s mentor Willis O’Brien. It had been brought to the screen as The Beast Of Hollow Mountain (1956). The effects in Gwangi are incredible, some of the master’s finest. And while the movie wasn’t a hit back in ’69, Harryhausen’s legion of fans have always dug it. Warner Archive haven’t put a date on it yet, but it’s coming.

Kino Lorber has announced a June Blu-ray release for The Magnetic Monster (1953), a low-budget, high-quality (as I see it) sci-fi picture from Curt Siodmak. It stars the great Richard Carlson as a scientist warning us about the dangers of radiation. Nobody handles 50s pseudo-scientific dialogue as well as Carlson. Recommended.